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” I turned 60 at the end of October. Like a lot of people who reach that milestone, I got to thinking about the “résumé virtues” (the traits that drive external success) and the “eulogy virtues” (the qualities that lead to deeper meaning)—and finding the right balance between the two.

My birthday was not the only reason I started thinking about these questions. I was also prompted by reading The Road to Character,the latest book by New York Times columnist David Brooks. Brooks sums up his aspiration for the book this way: “I’m hoping you and I will both emerge from the next nine chapters slightly different and slightly better.” It certainly was a stimulating read, and it got me thinking about my own motivations and limitations in new ways.

The central metaphor of the book comes from the Book of Genesis. Borrowing from a rabbi named Joseph Soleveitchik, Brooks points out that Genesis contains two opposing depictions of Adam, which represent two different sides of human nature. “Adam I is the career-oriented, ambitious side of our nature,” Brooks writes. “He wants to have high status and win victories.” Adam II, in contrast, is more internally focused. “Adam II wants to have a serene inner character, a quiet but solid sense of right and wrong—not only to do good, but to be good.”

― Bill Gates, The Two Adams, December 7, 2015, Gatesnotes

For more: https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/The-Road-to-Character

I read this yesterday on Bill Gates Blog. I often read book recommendations on Gatesnotes ( The Blog of Bill Gates). They are very good and would recommend it to every one. This extract is from a review of New York Times Columnist’s David Brooks book ” The Road to Character.” Adam 1 and Adam 2 classification of human nature set me thinking. Adam 1 ” The competition to succeed and win admiration is so fierce that it becomes all encompassing”. Adam 2 ” Humility,sympathy, honest self confrontation, selflessness, generosity and self sacrifice.” The last two characterizations are from a Guardian review. We will let have Microsoft founder the last word, before that …

Who am I?

Adam 1 or Adam 2 ?

Adam 1

I would safely rate myself as hardworking, driven and conscientious…

I have goals. I have belief. I have constraints. I want to change the world. Yes, am Adam 1…

Adam 2

The truth may be am more Adam 2, my personal goal is to be selfless, loving, compassionate and kind..

I love people. I root for their success.I practice mindfulness everyday. I live for my family. I want to do something in my father’s memory. I lived by this wall alone for many years..

I am not anti social. Yes withdrew too much.. to reflect, to be..

So more Adam 2 than Adam 1…

My journey in life has taught me ” Things work out only with right effort” and ” Things work well only with right people.”.

We must work hard but in the right direction. We must work well but with right people.

So think we need both Adam 1 and Adam 2 and they may not be so mutually exclusive.. Both are needed.

Mine is a journey from a ” Loser” to a ” Winner”. It’s better than the other way around…

” But I would get in my car every night and would put in the music of Bruce Springsteen, and everything changed. And I never again felt like a loser. When you listen to Bruce’s music, you aren’t a loser. You are a character in an epic poem about losers..

But that is not the power of Bruce Springsteen, it is that whenever, I see Bruce Springsteen do anything, he empties the tank – everytime.And the beautiful thing about this man is he empties that tank for his family, he empties that tank for his art, he empties that tank for his audience, and he empties it for his country. And we, on the receiving end of that beautiful gift are ourselves rejuvenated, if not redeemed.”

( Jon Stewart)

For more: http://lybio.net/jon-stewart-speaks-about-bruce-springsteen-at-the-kennedy-center-honors/speeches/

That’s my goal to be hardworking and give it all like my hero…

We will have Bill Gates the last word on Adam 1 and Adam 2

” I like the way Brooks fleshes out the Adam I and Adam II sides of human nature, but it’s not always clear where one starts and the other stops. For example, you could argue that my work with Microsoft was a classic case of Adam I résumé-building. But I found deep satisfaction in that work—not because I achieved material success beyond my wildest expectations, but because I got to help build a great team and be part of a new industry that unleashed the potential of people all around the world.

On the other hand, some might see my foundation work as based on eulogy virtues. But I would be lying if I said that I don’t also get a small boost of Adam I-type satisfaction when that work goes well.

Even if the distinction between résumé and eulogy—Adam I and Adam II—isn’t always crystal-clear, I agree with Brooks that it’s useful to think about how to get the balance right. In a chapter entitled “The Summoned Self,” he suggests that the voice of Adam II gets louder when we ask “What are my circumstances calling me to do?” He quotes an even more powerful version of this question from the novelist Frederick Buechner: “At what points do my talents and deep gladness meet the world’s deep need?”

( Bill Gates)

Bill Gates is right. It’s the balance that is most important . Ambition and kindness is both important. We must succeed in both. Yes success is important..

For the moment have surrendered to my daily Zen ” The meaning lies in the effort itself..”

And wish to be like my hero ” But he had a lot of heart and big dreams..”

Think about this dear friends. I have been away from blogging due to personal constraints. I promise to be share soon.